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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. court — of law
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mug — a face
  10. band — a ring
  11. court — for sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. march — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. scale — in music
  20. court — of a king
  21. band — a music group
  22. deal — to handle
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mug — a cup

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