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: row · bay · mouse · cabinet · can · fan · fall · kid

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — the season
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. row — a line
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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