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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. kick — in football
  3. ball — a great time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. game — a match
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. track — a song
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — to keep track
  14. swing — in golf
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ball — a dance
  20. swing — music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. swing — to play on

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