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: net · rock · hand · cabinet · game · object · ruler · roll

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — to protest
  18. net — after costs
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. object — an aim
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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