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: jam · key · fan · land · club · snap · date · bass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — a group
  3. bass — low music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. land — a country
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bass — the fish
  13. land — ground
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. club — for golf
  16. key — in music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. land — to come down
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. club — for dancing

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