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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pop — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — to visit
  7. season — in sport
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — for sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — farmland
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — a subject
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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