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: cold · chip · mate · cell · cabinet · wake · last · lash

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. last — to go on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cold — an illness
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. last — final

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