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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — a division
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. snap — to click
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a document
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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