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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tube — a container
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a trace
  15. court — of a king
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — a group

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