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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. band — a music group
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for dancing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. band — a ring
  16. club — for golf
  17. wind — moving air
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. club — a group
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wind — moving air

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