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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rule — government
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. game — a match
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bulb — for light

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