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: field · chair · mouse · file · fan · cabinet · season · degree

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — a subject
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. file — a document
  9. field — for sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. season — of the year

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