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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. perch — the fish
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. game — a match
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mate — a partner
  12. suit — to fit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — to tease
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spring — the season
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a great time

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