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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — finally
  4. race — humankind
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. race — a contest
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. last — to go on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kick — in football
  24. suit — clothes

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