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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — of the year
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — thin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — in sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — to come down

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