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

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cold — an illness
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — a trail
  11. track — a path
  12. fall — the season
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. track — a song
  23. bat — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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