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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cell — a phone
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — wild animals
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cold — an illness
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. mug — to rob
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a committee
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — a face

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