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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. court — for sport
  4. spell — letters
  5. court — of a king
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rash — a series
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. shower — rain
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — hasty
  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