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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cap — of ice
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. degree — from a university
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cap — a lid
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — to succeed

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