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

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fork — in a road
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cap — of ice
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cold — not warm

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