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 124 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. club — a group
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. game — a match
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. firm — a company
  10. rest — a break
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — for catching
  24. game — wild animals

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