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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — clothes
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. current — happening now
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cold — an illness
  23. branch — a division
  24. pound — a weight

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