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: patient · lie · cap · can · kid · scale · root · land

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — ground
  4. root — the cause
  5. scale — size or range
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a word
  9. cap — a lid
  10. root — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lie — to recline
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cap — a hat
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. scale — in music
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cap — of ice

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