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 · toast · fan · clip · coach · fine · season · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. toast — bread
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — to cut
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. clip — a video
  24. fine — high quality

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