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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — low music
  4. spring — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — the fish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. dip — to sink
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. shower — rain
  24. track — a path

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