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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mug — a face
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — music

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