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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rock — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cap — a lid
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — a position
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ground — the earth

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