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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — for sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. field — a subject
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stem — of a plant

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