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: fall · bat · safe · chair · board · drill · cap · fine

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — the season
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — of ice
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — a lid
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

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