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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. toast — bread
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — to rob
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kid — to tease
  20. capital — a city
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. snap — to click
  23. court — of law
  24. capital — a big letter

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