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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. spring — a coil
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spring — of water
  19. game — a match
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — to go away

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