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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · cold · saw · root · march · cap · race · bore

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — the month
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cold — an illness
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — a hat
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — music
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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