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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — a break
  21. face — to point toward
  22. band — a music group
  23. tear — to rip
  24. court — of a king

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