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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. race — humankind
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. game — a match
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mouse — the animal

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