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 116 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: game · nail · chair · cabinet · prune · leaves · kid · fall

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — the season
  15. kid — child
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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