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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. land — to come down
  3. chair — a leader
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — soda
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — ground
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — animal skin

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