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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. court — for sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. rule — a law
  6. court — of law
  7. net — for catching
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. net — in sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hand — in cards
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chest — a box
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — 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