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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cell — a phone

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