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 · stem · rest · pass · last · deal · nail · branch

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rest — a break
  6. last — final
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cold — not warm
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stem — to come from
  24. last — finally

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