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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — in music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — of water
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. scale — size or range

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