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: rest · bass · cap · can · firm · field · dip · kid

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — steady
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. field — farmland
  7. dip — to sink
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. field — for sport
  11. kid — to tease
  12. field — a subject
  13. firm — a company
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — low music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kid — child
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rest — a break

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