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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — in cards
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a music group
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — an illness
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hand — help

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