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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. net — for catching
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. court — for sport
  23. net — in sport
  24. cue — for pool

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