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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — of water
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — electric
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. track — a song

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