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: roll · stand · band · mate · current · fine · cold · squash

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cold — not warm
  6. squash — to crush
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mate — a friend
  9. roll — a list
  10. band — a ring
  11. mate — a partner
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — of water
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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