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: staff · content · last · rock · object · craft · pitcher · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — to go on
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — final
  21. staff — employees
  22. object — an aim
  23. last — finally
  24. content — happy

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