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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — ministers
  2. scale — in music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — for digging
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. rash — a series
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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