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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. game — wild animals
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pop — soda
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — to visit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. race — humankind
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. race — the arms race

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