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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. drill — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — in a race
  21. drill — army training
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — wild animals
  24. deal — to handle

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