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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — electricity
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — a price
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lie — to recline
  10. firm — decided
  11. object — to protest
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — in control
  17. cue — a signal
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — farmland
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — an aim

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