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: wind · roll · rest · fall · bass · foot · pit · rash

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — the season
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — low music
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — a break
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — a series

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