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: row · mate · arm · fall · bat · fan · toast · track

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mate — to breed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mate — a partner
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. mate — a friend
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. track — to keep track
  13. toast — bread
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fall — the season

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