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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. charge — in control
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. court — of law
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — for sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — a price
  16. snap — to click
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of a king
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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