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: fan · saw · net · temple · spring · cabinet · pass · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. net — in sport
  3. spring — the season
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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