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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. court — of a king
  24. game — a match

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