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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. swing — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — for pool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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