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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mug — a face
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mug — to rob
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — low music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mug — a cup
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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