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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. season — in sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a great time
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — for pool
  19. court — of a king
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mate — to breed

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