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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. snap — to click
  3. swing — music
  4. content — happy
  5. rule — a law
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rule — government
  11. content — the amount
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mug — a face
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — in music

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