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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tear — to rip
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kick — in football
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. content — happy
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. content — the amount
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kick — a thrill

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