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

Word bank: cap · mug · kid · row · wound · bear

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — child
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mug — a face
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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