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: pop · fall · pitcher · leaves · chip · patient · cabinet · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — to visit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — a thing
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — soda
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fall — the season
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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