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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — final
  10. press — newspapers
  11. season — of the year
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. last — finally
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to click
  24. press — to push

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