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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — a company
  5. court — for sport
  6. band — a music group
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of law
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. band — a ring
  13. firm — decided
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — of a king
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — a short time

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