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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — the earth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a lid
  13. branch — a division
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. chair — a leader
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — a position

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