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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — not warm
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a face
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — in music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wax — to grow
  24. suit — in cards

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