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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. land — a country
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. current — of water
  7. land — ground
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. net — in sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. land — to come down
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — a match
  24. lean — thin

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