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 · hide · spring · mate · pitcher · rash · hand · swing

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. rash — a series
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — help
  16. mate — a friend
  17. swing — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. swing — in golf

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