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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — certain
  3. court — for sport
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — dry grass

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