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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. spell — magic
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. spell — letters
  8. wax — to grow
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — music
  14. court — of a king
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spell — a short time
  17. season — of the year
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. season — in sport
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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