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 124 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — a cup
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — a series
  8. sharp — clever
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mug — a face
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — to rob
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rash — hasty
  15. roll — a cake
  16. game — wild animals
  17. roll — a list
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. game — a match
  24. calf — a young animal

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