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: plane · bear · rush · game · jam · kid · cap · spell

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — a short time
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. kid — child

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