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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — of a king
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. band — a music group
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. court — of law
  17. band — a ring
  18. court — for sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a football final

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