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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. club — for golf
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — for sport
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — a match
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. field — farmland
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — to breed

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