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: cabinet · squash · can · scale · fan · wind · field · land

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — for sport
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. scale — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — size or range
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. land — ground
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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