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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. band — a ring
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rock — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. band — a music group
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — a garden tool

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