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: bowl · ruler · coach · wave · kid · net · cabinet · staff

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — child
  16. net — for catching
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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