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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — of ice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — for digging

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