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: pop · rash · mate · leaves · cold · racket · bank · wake

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cold — not warm
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pop — soda
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — a series

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