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's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a match
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — a series
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mug — to rob

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