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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a hat
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. drill — army training
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. drill — a practice
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — music
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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