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: pound · wake · hide · bound · race · toast · hand · bear

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hand — help
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. race — a contest
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — a trail

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