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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mine — for digging
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rule — a law
  10. ball — a dance
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. toast — bread
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rule — government
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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