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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — the arms race
  8. kid — child
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. race — humankind
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cold — not warm
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spring — the season
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — of water
  23. cold — an illness
  24. spring — a coil

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