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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. band — a ring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — of ice
  17. band — a music group
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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