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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — the amount
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — wild animals
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for golf
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — a series

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