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: bowl · cap · fall · cabinet · toast · spell · pop · rash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — bread
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fall — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spell — letters

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