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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — bread
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — army training
  7. fine — high quality
  8. last — to go on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — to fit
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — to tease
  17. drill — the tool
  18. kid — child
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fine — all right

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