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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. current — of water
  10. stem — to come from
  11. current — electric
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kick — in football
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — happening now
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wound — an injury
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bark — to shout

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