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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. last — final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mug — a cup
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — all right
  20. shower — rain
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mug — a face
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ball — a great time

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