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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — for golf
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. club — a group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — employees

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