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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — help
  3. roll — a list
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bore — to tire
  24. roll — on a roll

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