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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — decided
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — shares

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