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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — wild animals
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a list
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. roll — a cake
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a match
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cell — a phone

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