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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. content — happy
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — magic
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a match
  18. content — the amount
  19. spell — letters
  20. suit — in cards
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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