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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. sharp — clever
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — a stone
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — a supporter
  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