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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. swing — music
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. game — a match
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — a series

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