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: file · can · race · squash · roll · bear · cap · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — the arms race
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a lid
  7. squash — the sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. chest — a box
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. race — a contest
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bear — the animal

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