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 120 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: cabinet · fan · hide · wake · wind · calf · game · mine

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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. mine — belonging to me
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. game — a match
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wake — before a funeral

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