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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — all right
  7. last — final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. field — a subject
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — a dish

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