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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. current — electric
  3. cold — not warm
  4. ground — a position
  5. toast — bread
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. current — of water
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bulb — for light

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