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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cap — a lid
  6. object — an aim
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. net — in sport
  16. object — a thing
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. object — to protest
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — for spectators

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