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: swing · pitcher · leaves · rest · drill · wax · content · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — army training
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. content — happy
  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