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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — all right
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — of water
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — finally
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. current — electric
  19. last — final
  20. land — a country
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. saw — the tool

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