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 I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fall — the season
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — money
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — a city
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. staff — employees

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