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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — to confront
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — after costs
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a committee
  13. game — wild animals
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. roll — a list
  22. net — in sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. game — a match

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