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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. net — in sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — to bear
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. branch — a division
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — for catching
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. stand — on your feet

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