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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — after costs
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — a lid

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