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 116 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: cabinet · chip · content · craft · staff · saw · mate · fall

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — a friend
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — for betting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. craft — boats
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fall — the season
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. content — happy
  24. saw — the tool

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