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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — music
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rule — a law

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