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: fall · pass · pop · game · staff · chest · lean · tube

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — a container
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pop — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pass — to spend time

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