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: game · swing · fork · scale · rule · net · pitcher · pound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. swing — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rule — government
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rule — a law
  7. net — after costs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. swing — in golf
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — in a road
  16. scale — in music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. net — in sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. net — for catching

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