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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. current — happening now
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. staff — a stick
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stock — shares
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — electric
  14. cell — in biology
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a match
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cell — a phone
  24. suit — clothes

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