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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cell — in biology
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. court — of a king
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of law
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ball — a great time

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