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 120 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 · hide · wake · kid · mark · current · band · row

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kid — child
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — to tease
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — electric
  13. row — a line
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. row — to paddle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a music group
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a grade
  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