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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. firm — decided
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. firm — a company
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — a container
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — a thing
  19. firm — steady
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. object — to protest

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