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: hand · cabinet · mine · coach · lie · file · rock · saw

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. file — a document
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — help
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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