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: content · pound · face · fine · coach · wake · plane · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. face — to point toward
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pound — for dogs

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