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: board · pass · coach · leaves · jam · spring · land · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. board — to get on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cold — an illness
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. board — a committee
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cold — not warm

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