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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — in football
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chest — a box
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mate — to breed
  19. scale — in music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a great time

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