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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — a lid
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — to fit
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — of ice
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. board — a committee

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