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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. club — for golf
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — temperature
  20. club — a group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — of a tree

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