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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. roll — a list
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — a permit
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. game — wild animals
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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