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: can · charge · game · squash · bank · fan · sharp · net

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — to be able to
  3. net — after costs
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — a price
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — in control
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — for catching
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — to crush
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. net — in sport
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — with an edge

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