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: fall · cap · club · can · mark · stick · tube · wind

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — a hat
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — a container
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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