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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. foot — a measure
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tube — a container

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