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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mug — a cup
  7. net — after costs
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. net — in sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — a series
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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