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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spring — of water
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — the season
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. leaves — lets stay

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