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 · rush · cold · suit · foot · wake · scale · pop

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — soda
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — in music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cold — an illness
  22. suit — in cards
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cold — not warm

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