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: swing · game · mouse · pit · field · lie · cue · roll

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — a cake
  5. game — a match
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cue — for pool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. roll — a list

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