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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · calf · fall · club · fan · saw · fork · bat

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. club — a group
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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