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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — a committee
  7. court — of law
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — magic
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — letters
  18. court — for sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ball — a dance

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