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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. season — in sport
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — boats
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cold — an illness
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. roll — a list
  24. season — to add flavour

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