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: object · fan · wake · wound · scale · roll · swing · cabinet

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a list
  3. scale — in music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. swing — music
  15. object — a thing
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — an aim
  20. swing — to play on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cabinet — ministers

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