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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. snap — to click
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — music
  10. club — for golf
  11. fall — the season
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. club — a group
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — humankind
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — music
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pop — to visit
  24. club — for dancing

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