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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chair — a professorship

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