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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — for sport
  3. swing — music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. present — there
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. swing — to play on
  16. court — of law
  17. present — the time now
  18. swing — in golf
  19. court — of a king
  20. present — a gift
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — to move gently

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