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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — for a lock
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. capital — a city
  20. bound — certain
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — to cool the air

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