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: wake · band · season · fall · pit · plane · hide · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. band — a ring
  9. ground — crushed
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fall — the season
  21. band — a music group
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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