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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spring — a coil
  5. date — the fruit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — of water
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — the season
  14. charge — a price
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. game — a kind of play

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