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: leaves · mark · chest · degree · cabinet · cell · jam · fall

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cell — in biology
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — a box
  16. cell — a phone
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fall — to drop

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