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: squash · mate · toast · pitcher · straw · bay · fan · content

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. toast — bread
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mate — a friend
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. squash — the sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mate — to breed
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mate — a partner
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. content — the amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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