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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cap — of ice
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. squash — to crush
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. squash — the vegetable

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