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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fine — high quality
  14. firm — a company
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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