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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. land — a country
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — a law
  6. net — for catching
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. net — in sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. net — after costs
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rule — government
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule 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