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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — in music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the sport
  15. face — to confront
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — to crush
  20. scale — size or range
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wind — moving air

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