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: fan · club · chip · nail · kick · fine · hand · snap

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — all right
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chip — for betting
  9. club — for dancing
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. club — for golf
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. snap — to click
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. club — a group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hand — part of the body

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