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 116 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 · deal · wound · club · march · ground · suit · game

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — clothes
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. club — a group
  13. deal — to handle
  14. march — the month
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. club — for golf
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ground — crushed
  20. game — wild animals
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — the animal

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