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: mark · bass · firm · content · saw · degree · craft · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. content — happy
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. firm — a company
  7. degree — temperature
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — a trace
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — decided
  15. craft — boats
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bass — the fish
  19. content — the amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. saw — the tool

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