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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. pass — a permit
  3. fall — the season
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — a lid
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. roll — a cake
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fall — to drop
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. snap — to click
  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