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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — wild animals
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — a country
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — a match
  10. net — after costs
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — letters
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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