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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kick — in football
  11. ground — crushed
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. staff — employees

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