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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pop — soda
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — the animal

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