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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. object — a thing
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kid — child
  15. hand — help
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. object — to protest
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pit — a hole

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