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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. drill — a practice
  9. march — the month
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. roll — a cake
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. wound — an injury

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