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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — for sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. present — a gift
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. pit — a hole
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — a subject
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — farmland
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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