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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. roll — a list
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spring — the season
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — of water
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cabinet — ministers

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