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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tube — the underground
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fall — the season
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. tube — in a tire

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