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: cap · cold · vault · clip · cue · straw · can · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — obliged
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. can — to be able to
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bound — certain

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