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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cap — a hat
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. press — newspapers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cap — of ice
  12. file — a line of people
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — the season
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kid — child

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