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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ground — the earth
  3. capital — money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. foot — a measure
  14. squash — to crush
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — of ice
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — to sink

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