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: fan · bound · cold · calf · rest · key · cap · wind

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cold — an illness
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — in music

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