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: degree · bat · fall · pop · track · cap · suit · lie

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pop — soda
  5. degree — from a university
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a song

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