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: hide · game · fan · fine · roll · clip · present · ball

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a dance
  6. present — a gift
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — there
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — the time now
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fine — all right
  20. game — a match
  21. roll — a list
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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