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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — letters
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. degree — from a university
  7. row — a line
  8. degree — temperature
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tube — the underground
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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