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: wake · coach · cap · rock · object · squash · mine · file

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — an aim
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. squash — the sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. object — to protest
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mine — for digging
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. squash — to crush
  20. file — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rock — a stone
  24. squash — the vegetable

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