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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. key — the most important part
  6. field — a subject
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — music
  16. key — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a match
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — farmland
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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