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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bound — certain
  6. net — for catching
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. scale — size or range
  10. swing — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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