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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — happy
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cold — not warm
  14. board — a committee
  15. cold — an illness
  16. race — a contest
  17. band — a ring
  18. race — humankind
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — thin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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