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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. swing — music
  6. shower — rain
  7. swing — in golf
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bound — certain
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chip — for betting

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