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 116 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: nail · board · pass · cap · bank · cold · lie · bound

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cold — not warm
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bank — for money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. nail — for a hammer

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