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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. snap — to click
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fine — a penalty

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