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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — a phone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in biology
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. kick — in football

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