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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — a hat
  5. object — an aim
  6. spring — the season
  7. cap — a lid
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a document
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a line of people
  17. spring — of water
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. object — a thing

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