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 · plane · can · file · bay · bat · cabinet · bowl

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bat — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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