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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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