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: last · fall · band · pass · wound · rock · tear · staff

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — to go on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. last — final
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a music group
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a ring
  20. last — finally
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fall — the season

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