ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · charge · ground · stand · tear · suit · fall · straw

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. charge — a price
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — to rip
  14. charge — in control
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ground — a position
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fall — the season
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com