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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — in football
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — tied together
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — in music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitcher — a jug

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