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: fan · pop · rash · perch · charge · ground · mug · straw

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a face
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pop — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rash — a series
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. charge — a price
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — to rob

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