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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — a group
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — a subject
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — farmland
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — for sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ball — a round shape

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