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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — for sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. club — for golf
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. court — of law
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — moving air
  24. racket — for tennis

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