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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spell — magic
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — of water
  6. field — farmland
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — letters
  11. spring — the season
  12. chest — a box
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  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