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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — a short time
  9. capital — a city
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — a division
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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