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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. object — to protest
  6. cell — in biology
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — a thing
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rash — a series
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. object — an aim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rash — hasty

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