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: cap · hide · calf · mark · cold · ball · bound · wind

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cold — an illness
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bound — certain
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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