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: face · shower · lean · cabinet · kid · pound · cap · drill

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. face — to confront
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — to point toward
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kid — to tease
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a hat
  24. drill — army training

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