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: cell · pass · cap · bark · toast · file · mate · dip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mate — a friend
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cell — in biology
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. toast — bread
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. cap — a lid
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a tool

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