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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wind — moving air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — a permit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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