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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lie — an untruth

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