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: wake · fall · mouse · ground · pitch · board · stand · band

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ground — a position
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fall — the season
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — the animal

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