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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to click
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — army training
  24. fan — a supporter

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