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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ball — a dance
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cold — not warm
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stock — shares
  11. ball — a great time
  12. key — the most important part
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cold — an illness
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. board — a committee
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. band — a music group
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a rubber band

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