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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. root — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — to breed

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