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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — a country
  4. game — wild animals
  5. branch — a division
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — ground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. net — in sport
  14. present — the time now
  15. game — a match
  16. land — to come down
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. drill — 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