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: march · mug · cabinet · nail · object · spell · kid · ruler

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — a thing
  12. spell — magic
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — to protest
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — music

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