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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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 — the Cold War
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. current — electric
  6. rule — a law
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. club — a group
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. club — for golf
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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