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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · cabinet · rock · pop · stand · mug · spring · bowl

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pop — to visit
  12. spring — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — in football

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