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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. shower — rain
  3. land — a country
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spell — magic
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bore — to tire
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — to come down
  24. foot — the bottom

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