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: court · can · foot · clip · key · prune · cap · nail

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — a video
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. key — for a lock
  6. clip — to cut
  7. foot — a measure
  8. key — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — of a king
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. clip — for paper
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a lid
  24. foot — the bottom

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