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: roll · cold · fine · squash · bat · ruler · racket · cabinet

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bat — the animal
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. cold — not warm
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bat — in an idiom

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