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: rule · cold · can · last · fan · toast · scale · bound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cold — an illness
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. last — final
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — tied together
  18. last — to go on
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — bread

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