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: wake · coach · last · dip · game · scale · cap · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — certain
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — obliged
  7. last — finally
  8. wake — a trail
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — final
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — wild animals
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — a lid
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — to dunk

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