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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — tied together
  5. craft — a skill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — boats
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — obliged
  16. scale — in music
  17. rule — government
  18. scale — size or range
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — certain
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fan — to cool the air

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