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: fan · pit · bank · kick · mate · chip · scale · saw

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — in football
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pit — in a race

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