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: cap · pop · cell · chair · straw · plane · ball · dip

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pop — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a lid
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cell — a phone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pop — soda

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