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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a word
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — the cause
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. capital — a city
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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