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 · fine · sharp · lean · chair · band · date · pass

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — to bend
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lean — thin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. band — a music group
  13. fall — to drop
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fall — to drop
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pass — a permit

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