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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fine — high quality
  5. court — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — the sport
  9. club — a group
  10. band — a ring
  11. root — the cause
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. court — of a king
  14. squash — to crush
  15. club — for golf
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a music group
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — all right
  21. court — of law
  22. kid — child
  23. game — a match
  24. club — for dancing

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