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: bear · hide · club · fall · coach · stem · ground · row

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. club — a group
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. row — a line
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

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