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: file · bear · tube · board · fall · kid · current · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. tube — the underground
  8. file — a tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — child
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a document
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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