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: scale · last · staff · season · firm · bore · cold · current

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. season — of the year
  4. last — to go on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. last — final
  7. firm — decided
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. firm — steady
  13. bore — to tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — a company
  17. current — happening now
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cold — an illness
  20. staff — employees
  21. cold — not warm
  22. last — finally
  23. current — electric
  24. staff — a stick

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