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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wind — moving air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — child
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — for tennis

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