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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — steady
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — a hat
  5. capital — a city
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — the amount
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — decided
  15. capital — money
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to sink
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — the fish
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cap — a lid

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