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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. court — of a king
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — for sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of law
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — shares
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — exactly

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