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 · ruler · cap · racket · kick · saw · field · pop

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — soda
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pop — to visit
  10. content — happy
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. field — farmland
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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