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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. file — a document
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ground — a position
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lie — to recline

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