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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cap — a hat
  13. board — a committee
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kid — child
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — a lid

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