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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rule — government
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — all right
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hide — animal skin

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