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: chest · content · season · snap · staff · cabinet · bass · face

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — low music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — part of the head
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — to confront
  14. snap — to click
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. content — the amount
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. content — happy

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