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: fall · wave · foot · leaves · pitcher · race · object · stem

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fall — the season
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — of a plant

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