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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stock — goods
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stock — shares
  13. file — a document
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — a soup base

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