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: last · rush · saw · fan · can · date · mouse · present

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — to go on
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. last — final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. last — finally
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — to be able to

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