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: cabinet · nail · tube · rest · fall · straw · face · date

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fall — the season
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — a break
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. face — to point toward
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. face — part of the head

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