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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — electric
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — a big deal

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