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 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. board — a committee
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bank — of a river
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spring — the season
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — part of the body

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