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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. field — a subject
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. capital — a city
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — a match
  10. object — to protest
  11. capital — money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pass — a permit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — a thing
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — an aim

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