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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. scale — in music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — to visit
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. tube — in a tire

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