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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cold — an illness
  13. chip — to eat
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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