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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cap — of ice
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — a position
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash 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