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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. scale — size or range
  5. drill — a practice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — rain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — in music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — in a computer

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