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: cap · bark · bank · stand · rest · fan · hide · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — before a funeral

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