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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. club — for golf
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — a group
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitch — completely
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — belonging to me

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