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: cold · current · foot · firm · bulb · last · cell · track

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — to keep track
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. cold — an illness
  9. track — a song
  10. current — happening now
  11. cold — not warm
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — final
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — electric
  24. firm — a company

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