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: shower · key · march · stand · net · fan · can · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. net — after costs
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — to wash
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. net — for catching
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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