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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — a container
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a document
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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