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: content · cap · land · pitcher · mate · cabinet · spell · stand

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — to breed
  3. land — a country
  4. spell — magic
  5. cap — of ice
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — to come down
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — the amount
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — a friend

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