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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. chip — for betting
  13. field — a subject
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — of ice
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. field — for sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — in sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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