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: sharp · roll · cabinet · stand · ball · game · face · wake

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — clever
  12. game — a match
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a great time
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — part of the head

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