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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — to come down
  3. snap — to click
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — the season
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — a stone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — ground
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — a loud noise

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