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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. can — a tin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lean — thin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. capital — a city
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. capital — money
  9. toast — bread
  10. court — of law
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — a match
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — to be able to
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lean — to bend

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