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 124 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — a stone
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chip — to eat
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — for betting
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — in sport
  17. shower — to wash
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rock — music
  20. game — a match
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. season — to add flavour

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