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

Word bank: bore · cap · pop · pitcher · rest · season · board · perch

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bore — to drill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a lid
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — a break
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — a committee
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — to visit
  24. 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