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: fall · lie · cue · fork · wind · cabinet · fan · trunk

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fan — to cool the air

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