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: toast · fall · cabinet · trunk · staff · cap · mouse · pass

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fall — the season
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — employees
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fall — to drop

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