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

Word bank: fall · leaves · wake · chair · bowl · hide

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — a trail

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