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

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — an aim
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fine — all right
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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