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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fall — to drop
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — the season
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chest — a box

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