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. The water is too ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — a country
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — a series
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — a hat
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — hasty
  23. foot — part of the body
  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