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 · kid · pitcher · fork · mark · hide · fine · scale

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a grade
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kid — child
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — a trace

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