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: wound · hide · firm · bear · wake · lean · race · sharp

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. race — humankind
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — steady
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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