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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — rain
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — certain

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