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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wound — an injury
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. board — a committee
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bowl — a football final

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