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: snap · rush · dip · kick · cabinet · fall · file · march

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to click
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. file — a tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. march — the month

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