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: cap · pitch · fall · wind · cabinet · spell · plane · saw

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitch — completely
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cap — a hat

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