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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. season — in sport
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — a series
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — of the year
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. drill — the tool
  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