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 120 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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bat — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. march — the month
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. drill — army training
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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