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 116 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 · club · rash · game · last · scale · root · deal

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a plant
  5. last — final
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — the cause
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — wild animals
  17. deal — to handle
  18. club — for golf
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. root — of a word
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — a group
  23. last — finally
  24. scale — in music

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