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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — of ice
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — wild animals
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cap — a lid

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