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: tear · chest · toast · mug · chair · mouse · cabinet · pass

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. toast — bread
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mouse — the animal

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