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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mate — a partner
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. kid — child
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a friend
  18. object — to protest
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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