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 116 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: rock · fan · net · sharp · fork · tube · vault · face

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — in sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — to confront
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tube — a container

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