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: ball · fan · can · bass · vault · tear · march · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ball — a great time
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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