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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. present — the time now
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a match
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — hasty
  10. present — there
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bank — of a river

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