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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. clip — to cut
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pop — soda
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — a video
  16. pop — to visit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cap — a hat

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