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: pop · cell · deal · fall · shower · race · plane · cabinet

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pop — soda
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — rain
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pop — to visit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fall — the season
  23. race — humankind
  24. cell — in a prison

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