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: fall · spell · lash · land · cold · stand · bark · current

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. current — of water
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — magic
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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