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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hand — in cards
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kid — child
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hand — help
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kid — to tease

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