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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a dance

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