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: mug · snap · land · cabinet · rock · bore · leaves · band

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. snap — to click
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mug — a face
  12. land — ground
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — to tire
  20. band — a music group
  21. mug — to rob
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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