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 · squash · bear · leaves · file · rush · rest · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — a permit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rest — a break
  24. file — a tool

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