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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pop — to visit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. branch — of a bank

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