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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. land — a country
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. land — ground
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — music
  24. cell — in biology

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