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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mug — a face
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mug — a cup
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — an amount
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fan — a supporter

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