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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. race — a contest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stock — goods
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. file — a tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — humankind
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. file — a document

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