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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — a lid
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rock — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — a stone
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young 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