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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to click
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — high quality
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a hat
  7. date — the fruit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — to protest
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — a thing
  19. cap — of ice
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. object — an aim
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. plane — a 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