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: patient · stick · chest · shower · craft · cabinet · fine · fall

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fall — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chest — a box
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chest — of your body

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