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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. game — a match
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hand — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — help
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — the instrument

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