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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — magic
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fork — in a road
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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