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 120 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: stick · present · cabinet · saw · racket · march · shower · deal

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — to wash
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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