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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — in control
  20. current — electric
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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