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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rest — a break
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spell — magic
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spell — letters

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