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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — a thing
  6. root — of a word
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. season — of the year
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — to protest
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — an aim
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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