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 120 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: cabinet · bear · bore · squash · cold · dip · track · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. cold — an illness
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. current — of water
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — a song
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — electric
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cold — not warm
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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