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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. band — a ring
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cold — not warm
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. track — a path
  21. snap — to click
  22. face — to confront
  23. cold — an illness
  24. face — part of the head

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