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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — in control
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — low music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kick — in football
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. arm — a part of something

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