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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. shower — rain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. game — wild animals
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — high quality
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — music

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