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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — the earth
  24. staff — a stick

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