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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. clip — to cut
  4. tube — a container
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — to go on
  7. clip — a video
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rash — a series
  11. mark — a grade
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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