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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — in sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — a match
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for golf

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