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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cap — of ice
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wake — a trail
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lie — to recline

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