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 · file · season · lie · clip · dip · chair · vault

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cap — a hat
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cap — of ice
  8. clip — to cut
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — of the year
  11. lie — to recline
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a line of people
  14. season — in sport
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. season — to add flavour

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