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: leaves · pitcher · snap · wind · cue · fan · pop · tube

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — a container
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitcher — a jug

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