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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — soda
  10. game — a match
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cap — of ice

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