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: press · tear · object · fall · ball · cabinet · cap · jam

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fall — to drop
  5. object — a thing
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ball — a great time
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. press — to push
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — a publisher
  20. object — to protest
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. object — an aim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a round shape

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