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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — animal skin

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