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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mate — a friend
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. game — a match
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a tool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. file — a document
  13. scale — size or range
  14. season — of the year
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. suit — in cards
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mug — to rob
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mug — a face
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a line of people

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