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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — a contest
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of a king
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chest — a box
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — for sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — completely

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