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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. race — humankind
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — a contest
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. root — the cause
  15. file — a document
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cap — of ice
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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