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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rest — a break

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