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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. land — a country
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. saw — the tool

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