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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. roll — a cake
  15. track — to keep track
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. roll — a list

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