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 124 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — to get on
  5. kid — to tease
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — the sport
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. kid — child
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bass — low music
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fan — a supporter

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