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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — clothes
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — in cards
  12. race — humankind
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. race — a contest
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitcher — a jug

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