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: bore · lean · cabinet · kick · rash · bat · temple · spell

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — in football
  5. bat — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rash — a series
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bore — to tire
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — hasty

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