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 120 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 · root · stand · bear · lash · bound · cell · fall

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — in biology
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  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