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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. spring — of water
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spring — a coil
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a music group
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stem — to come from
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tear — from crying
  23. band — a ring
  24. cold — not warm

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