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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — a path
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. track — a song
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. track — to keep track
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. safe — out of danger

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