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: bass · can · bound · cold · wind · pit · ground · tube

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ground — the earth
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — a position
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — obliged

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