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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — government
  4. bore — to drill
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — a law
  9. chest — a box
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. bore — to tire
  16. can — to be able to
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. staff — a stick
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — to rule out

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