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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — for golf
  6. court — of a king
  7. deal — to handle
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tube — the underground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. club — a group
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tube — in a tire

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