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: roll · hide · club · cold · can · chest · current · present

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. present — there
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — the time now
  7. club — for golf
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — a gift
  10. roll — a list
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — of water
  16. club — a group
  17. cold — an illness
  18. current — electric
  19. club — for dancing
  20. roll — a cake
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chest — a box

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