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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. land — ground
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — finally
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — a country
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — a song
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. track — a path
  17. last — final
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — to keep track
  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