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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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 — a supporter
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — for digging
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  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