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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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. spell — letters
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — to come down
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chip — for betting
  9. land — a country
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — magic
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — in sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — to add flavour

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