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: spring · cap · roll · bore · kick · cell · row · rock

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. roll — a list
  3. cell — a phone
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — in football
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. row — to paddle
  21. spring — the season
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. spring — a coil

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