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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a trace
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — a match
  10. object — a thing
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. stock — shares
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — to protest
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — to move gently
  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