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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — part of the head
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hand — help
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. face — to confront
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spring — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pop — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bear — the animal

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