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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. net — in sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — ground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. net — for catching
  13. mug — to rob
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitch — a sports field

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