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: wave · cold · pitcher · dip · rush · cabinet · scale · cap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. scale — in music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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