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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cold — not warm
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. safe — out of danger

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