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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. season — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. season — of the year
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chest — a box
  22. cap — a hat
  23. land — a country
  24. chest — of your body

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