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

Word bank: game · object · rest · pop · land · bound · field · racket

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — a thing
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. object — to protest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — ground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — to visit
  12. game — a match
  13. land — a country
  14. game — wild animals
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — a subject
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — to come down
  24. bound — tied together

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