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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — to get on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — a division
  14. rash — a series
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — magic
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rash — hasty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. board — a flat piece

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