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: mine · staff · hand · cold · rock · cue · lean · current

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — thin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lean — to rest against

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