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: land · row · stand · bass · staff · mate · bound · game

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mate — a partner
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. row — to paddle
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — ground
  8. row — a line
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bound — certain
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. game — a match

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