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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. present — there
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — the time now
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — thin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — a gift

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