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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hand — help
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — for light
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — bread

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