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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. field — farmland
  3. current — happening now
  4. mug — a face
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. field — for sport
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a music group
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. field — a subject
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — electric
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a ring
  24. mug — to rob

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