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: stand · season · fan · cue · leaves · saw · club · rest

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a hint
  13. club — a group
  14. season — of the year
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — in sport

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