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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. land — a country
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. present — the time now
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — ground
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — there
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — to come down
  24. cell — in a prison

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