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: snap · charge · fan · court · saw · stand · wind · season

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. court — of law
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — a price
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — for sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. season — of the year
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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