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: saw · cabinet · chair · lash · wake · foot · sharp · mate

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mate — a partner
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — a professorship

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