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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — a container
  6. rule — government
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — a law
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to click
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — in a road
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bowl — to roll

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