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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. game — a match
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. field — for sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — a stone
  12. club — a group
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — for golf
  17. field — a subject
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. press — newspapers
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spell — letters
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — farmland

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