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 116 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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. lie — to recline
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. field — a subject
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bank — of a river

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