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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — electric
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — of water
  15. suit — clothes
  16. roll — a cake
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — shares

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