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 120 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: ball · rock · swing · game · clip · content · cue · board

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. clip — to cut
  3. swing — in golf
  4. content — happy
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a signal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — a stone
  10. game — a match
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. clip — a video
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — to play on
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — the amount
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. swing — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rock — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. content — videos and posts

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