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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. current — happening now
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — electric
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — of water
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bore — to tire

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