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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — a measure
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — a container
  6. band — a ring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a document
  10. cell — a phone
  11. file — a line of people
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cell — in biology
  24. band — a music group

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