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

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. 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. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a lid
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. rock — music
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hand — help
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rock — a stone
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. 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