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 · jam · wind · club · cell · roll · bay · plane

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. roll — a cake
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. roll — a list
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cell — a phone
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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