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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. current — happening now
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. squash — the sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cold — an illness
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. object — an aim
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — to protest
  23. current — electric
  24. wave — of the sea

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