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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rash — a series
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cold — not warm
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mug — a face
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — a trail

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