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

Word bank: last · straw · bound · pass · track · fall · hide · foot

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — obliged
  4. track — a path
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — tied together
  11. foot — a measure
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. track — to keep track
  14. last — to go on
  15. fall — the season
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — finally
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — final
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. straw — a straw man

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