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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kick — in football
  5. chest — of your body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — a position
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — a match
  14. club — a group
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. club — for golf
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chest — a box
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — with a leg

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