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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. land — a country
  10. cap — of ice
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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