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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cold — not warm
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — to bear
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — a trail
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — to push
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. press — a publisher
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — a series
  24. degree — temperature

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