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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. last — finally
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. last — final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ball — a great time
  24. game — wild animals

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