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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. swing — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. current — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. current — electric
  22. swing — to play on
  23. toast — bread
  24. swing — in golf

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