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 116 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: bound · bowl · mark · wake · last · leaves · racket · fall

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. last — final
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — finally
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bound — certain
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fall — the season

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