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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. content — happy
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — a hint
  10. file — a document
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — the amount
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kid — child
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — a container
  22. file — a line of people
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. swing — music

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