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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mark — a grade
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. field — a subject
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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