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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. root — the cause
  8. cap — a hat
  9. game — a match
  10. land — a country
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — soda
  18. land — ground
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cabinet — ministers

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