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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fall — the season
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bound — certain
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. charge — in control
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — of ice
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mark — a grade
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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