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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — a series
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wound — an injury
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — for catching
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — after costs
  24. staff — employees

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