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: bear · fan · ground · bowl · hide · lean · tube · land

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — a container
  23. ground — crushed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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