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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — a coil
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spring — the season
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. face — to confront
  12. spring — of water
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — for sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of law

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