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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. dip — to sink
  6. swing — in golf
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. capital — a city
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — to play on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. capital — money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. swing — music

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