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: season · straw · shower · stick · fan · court · current · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. season — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — for sport
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — happening now
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. court — of law
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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