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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. race — a contest
  4. pit — in a race
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — the arms race
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — the cause
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. can — to be able to
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a word
  24. leaves — to go away

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