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 · arm · cap · bank · chair · pop · file · season

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — music
  24. bank — for money

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