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 120 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 · content · can · rash · stock · season · bound · straw

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — happy
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — shares
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. season — of the year
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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