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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. file — a line of people
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — for golf
  7. stock — goods
  8. bat — the animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cap — of ice
  15. club — a group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — shares
  18. file — a document
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — to be able to
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

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