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: bound · root · can · row · hide · lie · wave · cold

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cold — not warm
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — tied together
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cold — an illness
  24. can — to be able to

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