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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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