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

Word bank: face · saw · rash · racket · jam · spring · fan · scale

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to point toward
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spring — a coil
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — the season
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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