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: deal · game · cabinet · mouse · arm · cap · degree · trunk

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cap — a lid
  8. degree — an amount
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — a match
  21. degree — temperature
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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