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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — a break
  15. content — the amount
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — in a road
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — happy
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to spend time

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