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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. object — to protest
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spell — magic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. capital — money
  16. object — an aim
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. capital — a city

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