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: file · field · lash · toast · ball · cue · cap · clip

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. field — farmland
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a document
  7. cap — of ice
  8. field — a subject
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cue — a hint
  14. toast — bread
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cue — a signal
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. field — for sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. file — a tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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