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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bound — certain
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cold — not warm
  6. file — a document
  7. mug — a face
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — of ice
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — a lid
  20. file — a tool
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a cup
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — a permit

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