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 · hide · wake · fan · mug · object · wind · saw

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a face
  3. staff — employees
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. object — to protest
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — a thing
  24. wind — moving air

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