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: stand · land · bear · kid · wave · track · last · straw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — to come down
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stand — to bear
  7. land — a country
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. track — a path
  16. kid — child
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — to keep track
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. last — finally
  24. land — ground

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