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: stick · cell · mouse · pass · chest · stand · cold · mine

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chest — a box
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — to succeed

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