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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. court — of a king
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — a match
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. suit — in cards
  20. content — happy
  21. game — wild animals
  22. row — a line
  23. content — the amount
  24. row — to paddle

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