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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. toast — bread
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. swing — to play on
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — help
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — to shout

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