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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fine — all right
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — a trace

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