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: can · cold · nail · bank · march · fall · cap · bulb

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. march — the month
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cap — of ice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — of a plant

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