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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — a subject
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. field — farmland
  23. fall — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

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