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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — bread
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. hand — in cards
  17. club — for golf
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  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