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: bat · race · deal · bowl · pass · pound · rush · game

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — a thrill

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