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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — a match
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. hide — to keep secret

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