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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. court — of law
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — a trace
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a great time

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