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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. court — of a king
  3. pop — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — in sport
  7. court — for sport
  8. swing — music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. swing — in golf
  11. track — a song
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. court — of law
  16. track — a path
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — of the year
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hide — animal skin

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