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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — for pool
  8. club — a group
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mug — a cup
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — for golf

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