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: fan · lash · date · cold · fine · deal · rock · court

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — for sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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