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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. court — of a king
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of law
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — all right
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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