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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — steady
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — decided
  7. club — a group
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. club — for golf
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. firm — a company
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — government
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cold — an illness
  24. deal — an agreement

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