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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — to visit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — letters
  7. pop — soda
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. game — a match
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spell — magic
  16. pop — music
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — to get on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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