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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. current — happening now
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — a hint
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — for sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. key — for a lock
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cue — a signal
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. field — a subject
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — steady
  22. cue — for pool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. current — of water

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