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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a match
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. file — a line of people
  10. land — to come down
  11. game — wild animals
  12. file — a tool
  13. land — ground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — a country
  24. cabinet — ministers

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