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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — thin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. net — in sport

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