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: wind · coach · wave · fall · track · lie · nail · cap

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a path
  16. cap — a lid
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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