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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. net — in sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. net — after costs
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. game — a match
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. scale — size or range
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. swing — in 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