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 water is too ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — a face
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a dance
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — a break
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ball — a round shape

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