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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. shower — rain
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — a lid
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. degree — an amount

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