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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. cap — of ice
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. craft — boats
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cold — an illness
  14. staff — employees
  15. cold — not warm
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — a committee
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mouse — the animal
  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