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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — the amount
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. object — a thing
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — of ice
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. content — happy
  23. object — an aim
  24. bore — to drill

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