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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. roll — a cake
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cold — not warm
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. roll — a list
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — music
  24. cell — in biology

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