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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. last — to go on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bound — tied together
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — final
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cold — an illness
  18. deal — to handle
  19. branch — a division
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cold — the Cold War

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