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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — in music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — size or range
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cap — a lid
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — for a lock
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. scale — in music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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