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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — certain
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cap — a hat
  10. face — to confront
  11. swing — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — a division
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cold — an illness
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — a lid
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cold — not warm

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