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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a match
  5. season — in sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — of the year
  9. mine — for digging
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rest — a break
  14. capital — a city
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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