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: chip · sharp · cabinet · hand · wave · cap · lean · bowl

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hand — help
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lean — thin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — a lid

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