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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cell — a phone
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cold — not warm
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. staff — employees

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