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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. file — a tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a document
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — boats
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — an injury
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a lid

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