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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a ring
  4. capital — money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a city

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