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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cue — a signal
  6. file — a document
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — for pool
  20. file — a tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cold — the Cold War

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