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: shower · sharp · object · stand · fall · mine · track · season

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — to wash
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. season — in sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fall — the season
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. shower — rain
  24. track — a song

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