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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — in music
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — a law
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — government
  17. clip — for paper
  18. toast — bread
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. toast — the most admired

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