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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — a song
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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