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: key · game · can · trunk · fine · fall · cap · land

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fall — the season
  4. game — a match
  5. land — to come down
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. key — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cap — a lid
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. key — the most important part
  19. land — ground
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — a hat
  24. land — a country

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