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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to confront
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — letters
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wake — a trail
  22. face — to point toward
  23. drill — army training
  24. face — part of the head

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