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: kid · mouse · craft · scale · land · cold · cabinet · lash

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. land — a country
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. scale — in music
  13. craft — boats
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. land — to come down
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. craft — a skill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — not warm
  24. land — ground

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