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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — a match
  13. scale — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — a break
  23. snap — to click
  24. scale — size or range

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