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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rush — hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. craft — a skill
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

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