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: suit · fan · net · mate · wake · lie · land · chair

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. land — ground
  4. net — after costs
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. net — for catching
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — to breed
  22. net — in sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wake — a trail

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