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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — to come down
  13. row — a line
  14. object — to protest
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — a thing
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. land — a country
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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