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 120 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: hide · tear · fine · cap · track · fan · cell · chest

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — a box
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fine — all right
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fine — high quality
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  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