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: cell · object · current · fan · court · fine · drill · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — of water
  6. court — of law
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — a phone
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. current — happening now
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. object — a thing
  18. cell — in biology
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — army training
  21. court — for sport
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. current — electric
  24. bat — for baseball

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