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 124 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bat — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — in golf
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. swing — music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. plane — an aircraft

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