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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. club — for golf
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. last — finally
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. file — a tool
  9. last — final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — to bear
  12. club — a group
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. file — a document
  15. suit — clothes
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — to sink
  18. last — to go on
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a line of people
  22. clip — to cut
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. suit — in cards

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