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: dip · spring · rush · tear · fall · pass · last · squash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tear — from crying
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — the sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tear — to rip
  11. last — final
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spring — of water
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spring — the season
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spring — a coil
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rush — to hurry
  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