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: cabinet · straw · spring · lean · drill · nail · jam · court

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. spring — of water
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. court — for sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — thin

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