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 120 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. capital — money
  16. net — in sport
  17. game — a match
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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