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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — happening now
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — electric
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. current — of water
  24. fall — to drop

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