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: deal · game · bear · degree · mark · net · arm · face

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — wild animals
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mark — a grade
  17. face — to point toward
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — a match
  21. net — after costs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. deal — an agreement

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