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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — soda
  4. band — a music group
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. game — a match
  7. net — in sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — the fish
  21. net — for catching
  22. band — a ring
  23. fork — in a road
  24. game — a kind of play

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