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: mug · land · fall · key · drill · cabinet · press · hide

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — to rob
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — a face
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — a cup
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. land — to come down
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — army training
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — the tool
  24. land — a country

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