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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. land — to come down
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — a country
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — ground
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. season — of the year

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