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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. club — for golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. key — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. game — a match
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. season — in sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — for baseball
  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