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

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. present — there
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — hasty
  10. present — the time now
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. club — for dancing

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