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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — to push
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cold — an illness
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — letters
  12. wake — a trail
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spell — a short time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — magic
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. cold — not warm
  22. board — a committee
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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