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: coach · shower · spring · leaves · race · hide · wake · fall

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — a contest
  9. shower — rain
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — the season
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spring — a coil

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