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: cabinet · kid · net · lean · racket · march · dip · tube

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. march — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — a container
  6. lean — to bend
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. net — after costs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — to sink
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — to tease
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kid — child
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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