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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. field — farmland
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. field — a subject

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