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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — to get on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. face — to confront
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. club — for golf
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. board — a committee
  9. club — a group
  10. court — for sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — for pool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — a supporter

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