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 112 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · game · current · lie · drill · net

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mine — for digging
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. drill — a practice
  8. current — happening now
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — in sport
  18. drill — army training

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