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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. field — for sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. swing — in golf
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. swing — music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — to play on
  19. field — farmland
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — a subject
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a music group
  24. temple — side of the head

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