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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. staff — a stick
  6. current — electric
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. game — a match
  9. club — for golf
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — a group

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