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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — for sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — magic
  9. suit — in cards
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stem — to come from
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — to eat
  16. face — to confront
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to point toward
  24. court — of law

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