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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — hasty
  9. current — happening now
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rash — a series
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a match
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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