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: fine · fan · chest · foot · suit · mine · lean · staff

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chest — of your body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — all right
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to bend
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chest — a box
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. foot — part of the body

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