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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. kid — to tease
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — high quality
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — the fish
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fine — all right
  24. coach — a trainer

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