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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spring — the season
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cold — not warm
  22. track — a song
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a tool

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