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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. charge — a price
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — the cause
  6. charge — electricity
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a music group
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chest — a box

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