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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cold — an illness
  9. season — of the year
  10. bound — tied together
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cell — in biology
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cell — in a prison

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