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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. current — of water
  11. spell — magic
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — electric
  19. stock — shares
  20. season — of the year
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. plane — a tool

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