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: date · season · wound · dip · row · rock · cabinet · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rock — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. season — to add flavour

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