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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lean — thin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lean — to bend

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