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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — boats
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. content — happy
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — soda
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stem — to come from
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pop — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. content — the amount

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