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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. present — the time now
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — there
  6. key — in music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — to rob
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. row — a line
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ball — a great time
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — in golf
  24. present — a gift

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