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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mine — for digging
  12. drill — army training
  13. branch — a division
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — goods
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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