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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. field — farmland
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hand — help
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — a subject
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. field — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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