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

Word bank: current · rock · fall · bear · content · cold · cabinet · shower

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rock — a stone
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cold — not warm
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — music
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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