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: spell · mine · board · firm · cabinet · cell · straw · degree

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — from a university
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. degree — an amount
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spell — letters
  12. board — to get on
  13. degree — temperature
  14. firm — decided
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — steady
  17. spell — a short time
  18. firm — a company
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. spell — magic

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