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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — rain
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wind — moving air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — temperature

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