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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — ground
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. key — in music
  12. drill — army training
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — a country
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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