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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — to grow
  5. face — to confront
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — a country
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of a king
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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