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: pop · wind · stick · race · cap · kid · prune · coach

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. race — a contest
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — humankind
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. race — the arms race
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — child

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