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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pop — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — for golf
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cap — a lid

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