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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. last — to go on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — not warm
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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