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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — low music
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — the earth
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ground — a position
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. staff — a stick
  15. deal — to handle
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a line

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