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: ball · fall · hide · stick · last · net · pass · calf

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — to go on

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