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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. current — electric
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. squash — the sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cold — not warm
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. face — to confront
  17. sharp — clever
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pass — a permit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cold — an illness

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