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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — for catching
  4. branch — a division
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — for digging
  15. game — a match
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. net — after costs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — in sport

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