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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. fall — the season
  24. fan — a supporter

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