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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — a lid
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — for sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of a king
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — shares
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. court — of law
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. saw — the tool

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