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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — to confront
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a dance
  15. face — part of the head
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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