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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — all right
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — low music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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