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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bass — the fish
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bass — low music
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. game — wild animals
  21. row — a line
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — clothes

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