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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — the arms race
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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