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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — a list
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — a friend
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fall — to drop

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