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 · row · season · mark · race · stand · club · date

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — of the year
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — a contest
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — a grade
  10. row — a line
  11. club — a group
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — in sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. date — the fruit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — for golf
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. race — humankind

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