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 116 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: band · last · wound · wake · wave · fall · row · fork

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. last — final
  11. fall — the season
  12. last — to go on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. band — a ring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — a quarrel

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