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's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. scale — in music

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