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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — for catching
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. cell — in biology
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — army training
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — in control
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. capital — a city

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