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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — for golf
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — happy
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — a break
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — the amount

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