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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cold — an illness
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cold — not warm
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spring — the season
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — a tin
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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