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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. court — for sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a great time
  12. court — of law
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — in cards
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — to get on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fork — to eat with

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