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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — of ice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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