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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. track — a song
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. march — the month
  11. track — a path
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. track — to keep track
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — after costs
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. march — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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