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 120 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 · snap · squash · mug · pound · tube · present · cap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — the time now
  8. squash — the sport
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a face
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — a cup
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pound — a weight
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cap — a lid

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