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: cap · key · lean · mine · chair · hide · root · mug

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — the cause
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — a face
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — in music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — of a word
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — animal skin

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