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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tube — a container
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. staff — employees
  9. chest — of your body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — thin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — an eyelash

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