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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — of law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bulb — of a plant

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