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 124 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: last · wound · stand · bound · race · wake · mine · bass

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. last — to go on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. last — finally
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — a contest
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. race — humankind
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bound — certain
  23. last — final
  24. stand — to bear

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