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 · leaves · wake · dip · race · bark · calf · fan

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — a contest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. race — humankind
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — the season
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — the arms race

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