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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. game — a match
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chest — a box
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. board — to get on
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tube — the underground

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