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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spring — of water
  3. mate — a friend
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — to breed
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wake — before a funeral

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