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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — a price
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a hat
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. firm — a company
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bear — the animal

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