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: fan · dip · cue · spring · mug · shower · wake · patient

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spring — the season
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. shower — rain
  18. wake — a trail
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cue — a hint
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fan — a supporter

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