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 116 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: wake · bear · cap · key · kid · bass · fan · hide

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — to tease
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bass — low music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — for a lock

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