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 · mug · row · lean · chair · racket · sharp · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mug — a cup
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mug — to rob
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lean — to bend
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — a line
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spring — a coil
  24. racket — for tennis

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