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: field · fan · charge · cue · rest · wind · rock · wound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rock — a stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. charge — electricity
  10. field — for sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — a price
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — farmland

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