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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — decided
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. game — a match
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. toast — bread
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — to come down
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — a country

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