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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — a position
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — in music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. bowl — to roll

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