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: tear · firm · leaves · fall · wake · bore · spring · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — steady
  5. cap — of ice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a lid
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — the season
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — to tire
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. spring — of water
  24. tear — from crying

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