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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cold — not warm
  9. clip — a video
  10. root — of a word
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a plant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — to be able to
  18. march — music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. march — the month

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