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: wound · cold · ball · pass · roll · stick · fall · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fall — the season
  8. wound — an injury
  9. roll — a list
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — clothes
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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