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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. field — a subject
  6. vault — a safe
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. field — farmland
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fan — a supporter

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