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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  24. stand — for spectators

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