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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · season · cap · bowl · can · pitcher

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kid — child
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. season — of the year
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — a tin
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. 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