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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. club — a group
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — a line
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — a stone
  23. club — for golf
  24. bound — obliged

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