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

Word bank: mark · fall · row · stick · bore · hide · cold · bear

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — to pay attention

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