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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — a city
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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