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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. kick — in football
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. content — the amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tube — a container
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — for digging

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