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: kick · fall · fork · object · mine · cell · face · cabinet

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — to protest
  4. kick — in football
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — a thing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — an aim
  24. kick — a thrill

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