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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bass — the fish
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pound — to hit hard

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