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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bore — to drill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pound — to hit hard

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